The Bartender
by AtropureusAmazon
Summary: Raven left the Teen Titans years ago - she just wanted a normal life. Now, being 24, she realizes how lonely she truly is, and nothing has changed. She starts to bump into her old teammates, only to find and attraction she kept hidden for so long finally wanting to break free. Things have changed in the most bizarre ways possible.
1. Raven

With shaking hands I pulled out my box of Marlboros and placed a cigarette in between my lips, hungrily taking a drag the moment it was lit. I exhaled the smoke slowly, feeling the nicotine run through my body and pull me into a relaxed daze. I craved one all day while I was at work – what a nasty habit I fell into. My roommate, Peter, was to blame. The guy smoked a pack a day, and after only two months, I was not far behind.

"Raven, you did really well today. Terry is really enjoying your work ethic." My friend and coworker, Mandy, leaned up against the brick wall behind us, also having a smoke. "You're really breaking out of your shell with this whole waitress gig, but I knew you would."

"Well, at least my acting is convincing to Terry, that's all that matters to me. Honestly, I can't stand half of the people who come into this damn bar. The food isn't even half good."

"It really isn't the food they come for, Rae." Mandy laughed and pressed her cig into the ashtray, immediately pulling out another. "They come for the beer, booze," she looked at my fitted, V-neck shirt. "And boobs." We both rolled our eyes and laughed together. I hated to admit it, but she was right. More than half of our customers were middle-aged men.

Most people shunned the idea of being in their middle twenties and working at a bar with nothing else really going for them – but me, nah, I loved it. To finally break free from my past was liberating. Fighting with the Titans was fun and all, but it was time for a change. I did not want to go against evil anymore; I wanted no part of it. After Trigon was finally destroyed, it was my breaking point. I could finally get out and do what I've always wanted: to live a normal life.

None of my old teammates really talked to me anymore. Not because they didn't want to, but because there was no time. I saw them every now and then – quick glances of them bringing some sort of criminal to justice. No part of me regretted my decision and desired to go back – that part of me was dead.

Work went rather smoothly for the most part. I finally began to close at about two in the morning. We had a few lingering customers, but they weren't a bother. Mandy gave me a quick hug, dropped her apron off in the back, and left to go home to her boyfriend and kid. As for me, I stuck around a little and did some extra cleaning before clocking out. If it was allowed, I did anything I could to make a little more cash than usual. I didn't really have much to go home to other than Peter. For a while living with him was awkward; he had a huge crush on me. When I finally got it through his head that it would never happen, we have become such great friends and life has been fairly smooth.

"Are you still open?" The entrance doorbell jingled behind the female's voice. I continued to look at the bar counter while wiping it down.

"You bet – this is a twenty four hour bar, hon." There was a moment of silence.

"Raven?" I paused, looking at my reflection in the polished, now clean surface. That voice – it was so familiar. It was so…peachy. I looked up and my mouth fell open.

There stood a tall, orange woman with blazing green eyes. Her scarlet hair was thick, wavy, and fell way past her hips. Next to her was another woman with the same skin tone, but bright blue eyes and blonde hair. She was well over six foot. Both of them were wearing very tight, revealing dresses that only fell past their mid thigh, which did not surprise me.

"Starfire!?" I was completely baffled while she let out a giggle. "Oh my God, how are you?"

"I am well, friend Raven." She sat on the stool behind the counter and pulled out the other for the woman next to her. She continuously gave me bashful looks and hid behind Starfire. I didn't think much of it.

"Good! How is Robin? You two doing well still?" I asked, turning to get them some drinks on the house. I think Starfire drank? Why else would she come to a bar. The woman with her cleared her throat awkwardly in response to my question while Starfire suppressed some giggles.

"We are no longer together. It has been two years, my friend. I turned to her with wide, curious eyes. Starfire directed her attention towards the bombshell next to her. "Raven, meet my cousin, my wonderful girlfriend, Xena." She smiled and I pressed my lips together, taken aback by both cousin and girlfriend in the same sentence. Perhaps cousin had a different meaning on her planet. Either way, it didn't really matter to me nor was it my business. I stuck out my hand.

"Nice to meet you, Xena." At first she didn't reach out, but it was due to shyness – I could sense it. I would assume she was not accustom to Earthly ways yet – Starfire had been here much longer.

"Yes." She smiled and grasped my hand gently, and that was it. She let it go and huddled closer to her girlfriend, pressing her large breasts against Star's shoulder. I poured them their drinks and set them down, winking at my old friend.

"They're on me, Star." She smiled back at me and I turned to tend to the gentleman on the other end of the bar.

"Friend Raven, please, call me Kory." I looked over my shoulder and gave her another smile, one of reassurance.

Starfire and her girlfriend stuck around for well over two hours. As the night went on and the drinks kept coming, they got closer and closer. At first I was taken aback by it all, more so of her no longer being with Robin because she was so into him. I left the team when they were only dating for a year or so, which wasn't super long, but they were friends long before that. It was apparent that Xena already was making her way happier, and that was all that mattered; I was glad for her.

"Raven, go home." Terry placed his hand on my shoulder. "You are working way too much overtime. You know I love you and you're a hard worker, but you can't keep doing this to yourself. You're going to be absolutely exhausted." I set down two more drinks for Kory and Xena, sighed, and turned to my boss.

"Alright, alright." I began to untie the apron from around my waist. "I'll head home." Maybe I was a lot more tired than I thought. I turned on my heels to say goodbye to my old friend, only to find her tongue down Xena's throat and her large, orange hand groping her girlfriend at the same time. I pressed my lips together and turned around back towards the exit without a word. I'll catch her another time.


	2. My Old Home

"Welcome home, babe." Peter still used that term of endearment only because he knew it pissed me off. I hit him on the chest with the back of my hand and pushed down his beast of a dog, Manta, from jumping up onto me. I was small, that dog could knock me down in an instant. "How was work?"

"It was fine. Crude men, served beers, got spilled on a couple of times, and saw my old teammate making out with her new girlfriend who is also her cousin. All was well." He didn't respond right away as he processed what I had just told him.

"Was it hot?"

"Really? That is all you have to say?" Truly, though, was it a surprising remark? That was such a Peter thing to say. He laughed and ruffled my hair. I shoved him back. "Ugh stop you're so annoying." Manta tried to knock me over again out of excitement. "Both of you stop!" Sometimes the two of them were so overwhelming.

"Get some sleep, cranky pants."

"Go back to jerking off, twinkle toes."

"You got it!" He winked, walking towards his bedroom.

I brushed my teeth and stared at myself in the mirror while doing so. In this moment I realized how exhausted I truly looked. The bags under my blue eyes were incredibly noticeable. As for my hair, the undercut I had gotten a while ago needed a trim – thankfully it wasn't too outgrown. I really liked this whole short, pixie due Mandy talked me into. The length on top outdoing the buzzed undercut was something new – something edgy – something I wouldn't have done five years ago. Other than that, I was still the same old short, petite, and pale girl I had always been. Boring.

I dragged my feet to bed and sat down sluggishly, slowly falling back onto my pillow and under the heavy comforter. It was nice to sink into my mattress and finally be able to relax. Tomorrow was my day off and sleep was well deserved.

My eyes opened. The clock read: 1 pm. I sat up instantly and rubbed my face and sighed angrily. I haven't slept in this late in a long time. I threw on some shorts and walked into the kitchen to find Peter eating a sandwich and Manta staring at him with hungry eyes. His drool gathered up under his jowls and slowly dripped onto the tiled floor.

"Look who is finally awake." He broke off some of the crust and tossed it to the Dane. Manta caught it and swallowed it whole, immediately staring at his master in hopes for more.

"Shut up." I pulled out a chair and sat across from him, resting my face into my folded arms. Silence. All I could hear was Peter chewing loudly and the occasional grunt from his canine. My phone went off. I lifted my head and checked the text I had gotten. "Ugh. Terry asked if I could come in again tonight."

"Don't do it, Rae."

"I could use the money."

"You make plenty of money, take the day off. Go do something fun. Call up your friends or whatever you girls do. Go to the club."

"Shut up Peter." I had no friends. My brow furrowed. No friends. I said it to myself again, this time out loud.

"Oh…" Peter's voice sounded hurt – for once like he actually felt bad. I sat up quickly, realized that I had said that loud and clear. My cheeks turned a bit warm.

"Like you care. All you do is think with your penis."

"You wanna know what it's thinking now?"

"No."

"It want's somewhere cozy and warm and moist to-"

"Fuck off!" I stood up and went back to my room to get dressed and cut him off before he could finish his perverted commentary. What a moron. On my way out I grabbed my bag and keys off of the table, Peter was nowhere to be found, which meant he was in his room playing video games again. I shouted goodbye, whether he heard me or not, and left.

I didn't have to go into work until about eight tonight, so it was in my best interest to make the most of my day. No part of me could remember the last time I went to a bookstore, so why the hell not? It only took about ten minutes for me to find about five new, good reads to take home. I paid and left and stood motionless on the sidewalk, trying to think of something else to satisfy my boredom.

"Jesus." I sighed and looked at my feet. Not a single thing sounded fun to me. Not only because I wasn't easily entertained, but also because I didn't have many hobbies. Perhaps this whole normal life ordeal was a lot more boring than I thought. If I wasn't working, I was reading; if I wasn't reading, I was working. There was no in between, other than the occasional idiocy from Peter intervening here and there. My heart sank a bit when I looked up, the tower catching my eye off into the distance. I looked around, as if someone was watching me. Dare I? _Bad idea, Raven._

Something inside me pushed me to walk towards my old home. Curiosity? Maybe. Loneliness? Possibly. Whatever this feeling was, it didn't want to be ignored. My stroll turned into a walk, my walk turned into a jog, my jog turned into a sprint, and my sprint turned into levitation. I was flying. I haven't flown or used my powers in years. My eyes widened and the street sign besides me turned black, bending to the left throwing itself across the asphalt. I landed on my hands and knees; thankfully a lot of people weren't outside today to witness my outburst.

After composing myself, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and sighed slowly. My legs sunk into the ground into the abyss of a black portal, the rest of me to follow and be consumed by the darkness. When I rose back up again, there I stood right in front of the Titans tower – my old home.

 **AUTHORS NOTE: Expect to get longer chapters soon - I'm just trying to get this story rolling. Comment what you think! 3**

 **-Cassandra**


	3. Reunited

I stared at the red buzz-in entry button for a long, long while. A solid five minutes went by before I made the move and pressed it, immediately wondering if it was a good idea the moment I had done so. Nothing happened; maybe they weren't home. Just as I turned to leave, the two large, metal doors started to separate.

"Friend Raven?" Starfire definitely was still on the team. I turned around timidly, biting my lower lip. Sure enough, there was the alien princess towering over me in her exceptionally revealing super-suit. It wasn't to my surprise that she had outgrown her old one from our teen years. This new attire of hers barely covered her nipples and nether regions. But, as usual, it was no shocker.

"Hey, Kory…" I tried to think of a good excuse to why I came, but I couldn't really think of anything. "I just thought I'd pop by for a visit." Her lips pulled into a wide, genuine smile, her teeth strikingly white against her deeply tanned skin.

"Welcome! When I saw you on our security cameras, I was not alarmed to see you here. I am glad you decided to come see us, I am sure the others will be happy to see you as well. Come, follow me." She stepped to the side, allowing me to enter.

I looked around while following her, noticing how nothing really had changed much. Everything around me felt like a lost memory that I was revisiting from years ago – which was entirely true. We reached another set of metal doors, which was the entrance to the common area where we all used to hang out, laugh, eat pizza, and have a good time. My stomach did a bit of a back flip; the presence of my old teammates…I could feel all of them. I was feeling things I hadn't in ages.

"Well, here we are, my friend." The doors opened.

Standing in the middle of the room was Xena in all her revealing glory – her suit was identical to Starfire's, except it was an icy blue. Her hair, although, was pulled up into a large bun at the top of her head. Massive earrings dangled from her lobes; how on Earth did she battle with those colossal accessories? The television was on and a familiar robotic man sat in the middle of the couch, shouting at the football game on the screen. _Cyborg_. As for Beast Boy – I looked around; the little, annoying booger was nowhere to be found. _Ah, well._ On my right was the kitchen area – same as it used to be, except a bit cleaner. Was this it?

"Uh, hi." I raised a hand at Xena, giving her a nod. She smiled and walked over, giving me a hug. My face went right into her chest and I was quick to shrug her off, trying my best not to come off as rude. I just didn't want tit all up in my business.

"Yes. Hi." She really didn't have much to say. Her hand rested itself on the top of my head for a moment before she moved to stand next to Kory.

"Vic! Look who is here!" Starfire called out. Cyborg turned off the TV and turned his head in curiosity. His human eye widened and his mouth dropped a bit.

"No way." Standing up, he revealed his robotic body, which clearly had advanced along with the rest of the world's technology. It was sleek with glowing blue accents, even his one artificial eye now glowed teal instead of red. "Raven, oh my God, it has been years!" The large man maneuvered his way around the couch to pull me into a hug, which was way gentler than the Tamaranian hugs I had been receiving. I hugged him tight, a couple tears escaped my eyes – the emotional disconnect I had from Cyborg was all coming back to me. He was like an older brother. It was now, in this moment, that I realized how much I had truly missed him. It made me sick to my stomach knowing I had not contacted him once after all of these years.

"Hey, Cyborg." My voice was muffled in his metal chest. He stood back and placed a large hand on my shoulder. God he was tall, it was a bit intimidating. All three of them circling me made me feel incredibly tiny.

"You look great, Rae. Really, you do. Why the hell did you come here? Where have you been? How are you doing?" _So many questions._

"I just thought I should visit my old friends…" _Just be honest_. "I missed you guys. I thought it would be nice to see you all again. It has been far too long." He bent down and kissed my forehead and his hand moved from my shoulder to the side of my face.

"I'm so glad ya'll came, baby girl." Our eyes locked for a moment.

"Is it just the three of you?"

"Gar." Xena announced, looking at Starfire for approval.

"Yes, my love, Gar. Good job!" Kory praised her woman. Ah, she was trying to speak English properly – she was trying to remember names and phrases slowly. She must be extremely new to our planet. It made sense.

"Yeah, we have Garfield on the team still. Dick left…and we have some younger recruits we've gathered to start training to move the Titans forward. They're with the green dude right now as we speak." Cyborg explained while walking over to the kitchen to grab a water bottle out of the fridge.

"That is great, really, it is." I crossed my arms onto my chest and looked around awkwardly, trying to figure out what I could possibly talk about. Nothing really was new with me. Maybe I could come up with a white lie to make my life seem like it was sort of interesting. No, I couldn't do that to them. God, I've been so lame all of these years.

"I'm a bartender." _Wow Raven, you're cool._ "I know it's boring. But I love it – living the simple life really is for me. I've settled down, I don't use my powers anymore. I mean, I can't help the whole emotional, mind-reading thing; but I'm trying."

"If you love it, it is not boring, friend Raven." Starfire said as she grabbed onto Xena's hand and made their way to sit on the stools behind the kitchen counter. "I am glad you are doing what makes you happy."

"Thanks, Kory." It meant a lot, but now that I say these things out loud to the people I used to live with and be with all of the time, it makes me wonder what life could have been like if I stayed with them… _Did this life really make me happy?_

What was I thinking? I didn't come here to question the path I took. I came here to visit, chat, and leave; isn't that what you do with old friends? Why was I gravitating towards all of them instantaneously? I didn't think a brief visit would be so emotionally exhausting. The water bottle in Cyborg's hand turned black and blew up into his face. Xena screamed and hurled a green bolt of energy from her hand at Cyborg, and Starfire grabbed at Xena, trying to calm her down and explain to her what had just happened in their language.

"I just buffed out my chest, Xena." Cyborg snarled while looking down at the smoking, black mark she had left on his body. Xena, by the looks on her face, probably didn't understand a word he just said. Kory scolded him for scolding her for scalding him. The refrigerator turned black and its door flew off of the hinges and across the room. The food inside of it exploded onto all three of them.

"I need to go!" I could feel it; my eyes glowed white and my emotions were certainly not in check.

"Raven, wait a minute!" I froze as Cyborg began to walk towards me, a bit of mayonnaise running down his temple. "Don't worry about it; I know this must be a lot. But it's a good thing! This was your home - remember that! Just relax, baby girl." His hands gripped my shoulders and he looked into my eyes again. "Focus."

The room fell silent. Cyborg still held onto me and stared right through me. Xena and Starfire helped clean each other off and then the kitchen. I took a deep breath; this is a positive thing. I need to stop channeling it as bad.

"You smell like condiments. Its gross." I finally stated, smiling at Cyborg. He laughed and stood up straight. "Where is Beast Boy?" Cyborg laughed even harder.

"Man, the fact that you are calling him Beast Boy is throwing me off. He just goes by Garfield now – his hero name is Changeling for the time being. He complained that he is a man and the whole 'boy' thing pisses him off."

"You got that right." I turned my back at the gruff, male voice behind us. My jaw dropped. There stood Garfield – green as ever. He had grown both in height and size. His muscles were taught underneath his new, short-sleeved, white and purple suit. His jawline was sharp and the slightest bit of stubble. As for his dark, green hair – it was now tousled and thick instead of jelled into that stupid spike-due he thought was so cool in his younger years. He had grown to be a handsome, young man. His eyes met mine. "Holy fuck, Raven?!"

"Uh, hi." Why was my face turning warm? The minute his emerald eyes locked with mine I looked away. Why couldn't I look at him? He probably was still the same, annoying nerd that used to irritate me constantly. _Maybe._

"Just a hi? That's all I get? It's been, oh, I don't know – _eight years._ " He held out his arms. "Doesn't you're favorite green pal get a hug?" My heart skipped a beat and I reached behind my head for a hood. Oh God. There was no hood. All I wore were some charcoal jeans and a black top. I turned around quickly.

"Don't be stupid."

"Don't be a crank. Good to see you haven't changed…" I could hear him walking towards me – I could feel his presence. He began to circle me like some sort of vulture, treating me like I was his prey. "Well, personality wise, anyways." My head shot up.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" I snarled. He laughed and held up his hands, backing up a bit.  
"Whoa, whoa, calm down, mama." He raised a brow. "I just meant you are lookin' good."

"Keep you're stupid, foolish, flirty comments to yourself, loser." I hissed. He shrugged and snickered, walking past me.

"I'm just saying-"

"Fuck off!" Black engulfed his ankles and feet, pulling them out from underneath him. He fell to the ground. "Don't toy with me." After gathering his composure, he stood up and shook his head, frowning ever so slightly with the slightest look of disappointment in his eyes.

"Glad to have you here."


	4. Realization

As of now, there was no doubt in my mind that this was a bad idea. Why was I reacting like this? These are the people I grew up with. Beast Boy… _Garfield_ …always got under my skin. But I don't remember it feeling like this. I used to want to hide from everybody. Now that I was here, all I wanted to do was hide from him. _But why?_ He was the same, and yet, so unrecognizable…but he wasn't? _Why is this so confusing._ I was up on the rooftop with Kory, watching the sunset. It was five in the evening.

"I was rather taken aback by the way you reacted towards Garfield, friend Raven." My cheeks flushed.

"What do you mean?"

"When we were kids, he never effected you in such ways. Do you have, the lust?" My eyes widened and I looked at Starfire, completely dumbfounded.

"No fucking way! I haven't seen him 8 years; I just couldn't believe he looked the way he did. The way he acted..."

"You have not seen me or Cyborg since then, either, friend Raven, and you seemed…how you say, composed. Well, sort of…"

"Everything is just too much for me, right now, Kory."

"But this is a joyous experience. I know it is a lot, I understand. We all do. We all know you are driven by your emotions – do not fear or be embarrassed. We still love you." They care. They care so much. I left them – no – I abandoned them for 8 fucking years. I was 24. 24! The last time I was with them was when I was 16. They are acting like that never happened. Why?

"It was really nice to see you all. I'm glad I did. But I have to go – I work in a few hours. Maybe I will see you all again soon?"

"So you're just going to come in and surprise us all, throw me to the ground, and not even stay to hang out for a bit?" I spun around – there was Garfield, walking towards us. Behind him was a teenaged girl with thick, curly gold hair and a sparkling red jumpsuit. Next to her was a boy around the same age – skinny, tall, and Hispanic. "Don't you want to check out your old room again? All of your things are still there."

"Stay out of my room, Garfield." I joked, but it still was a bit bitter. I needed to relax; he was a human being. I was being way too harsh. "I-I was joking."

"I know, Rae." He laughed and rolled his eyes. "This is Cassie, also known as Wondergirl, she's one of our new cadets. This is Jaime – Blue Beetle; he isn't a Titan, but he helps out and trains with us here and there." I gave them both a nod. The awkward silence was absolutely killing me. He and I continuously caught each other's gaze and I couldn't help but look away immediately. What should I talk about with him? What should I say? Oh my God.

"How is Tara doing?" Really? That is what I could come up with? Out of all of the conversations we could have had, I asked about Tara. Why the hell would I ask about Tara? Starfire's face melted into a solemn expression and Gar turned his head away from me.

"She's dead."

"O-oh." That explains why I felt this heaviness when I was around him; this underlying feeling of loss, betrayal, and hurt. "I didn't know."

"Xena is the one who killed her. She deserved it." Gar still looked away from me. "I don't want to talk about it. You haven't been around to know, nor do you deserve to know. You don't even care. You can't just walk back into the tower and ask personal things like that Raven. You don't even know any of us anymore." Pain _. So much pain_. My heart fell into my stomach. My face turned hot with anger and embarrassment. "Maybe we needed you. Then you just left." The two behind him looked incredibly awkward. Where was this little dramatic speech coming from?

"I need to go." I ran for the edge of the roof, jumped, and allowed a black portal to swallow me whole. Was I doing it again? Was I running from the ones that loved me the most? Even after all of these years, I felt something weird around Garfield. There was something I couldn't quite read correctly when I was with him and I didn't like it. I had to get away. That feeling I was getting – it wasn't something I had ever felt. It was all too much. Those negative emotions radiating off of Garfield that I could sense– they weren't directed towards Tara – they were directed towards me.

"Vodka cranberry on the rocks, please." Demanded Phil, one of our regulars. I was used to his rude behavior, I was the only one who could take it. Mandy was too sweet and innocent and he usually brought her to tears by the end of the night. I made his drink and slid it across the counter gently. It glided right into his hand without a single spill.

"Anything for you, sunshine." I mumbled under my breath. I brought my attention to my next customer, and then to the next, and then the next… God this was so repetitive. Everyone was so rude and so demanding.

"Everything okay tonight, Raven?" Terry walked up behind me and began to clean some glasses. I shrugged and grabbed at some Midori for the next drink I had to make up. "You seem on edge tonight."

"It was supposed to be my day off."

"I'm sorry…I thought that you wouldn't have minded – usually you are more than willing to work overtime I-"

"I just want free time. I need to have free time. I never get out of this place." The glass in his hand was consumed by black and shattered, cutting his palm. Blood seeped into the rag he was holding in his other hand as he stared down at the scene in shock.

"What in the world?"

"I need to go. I can't tonight, I'm sorry." I ran out, terrified. I had never, ever lashed out like that at work. What if I lose my job? I'm getting paid so well after all of this time. I just caused a scene – I hurt my boss. I fucking hurt my boss. Why are my powers freaking out? Why was I freaking out? Tears. It was pouring rain outside. I ran towards the street for a taxi. _No._ I was weightless. Higher and higher I flew, up over the buildings of Jump City – high enough to look at that one tower that was in plain sight – the T.

I slammed on the two metal doors with both fists. My knuckles were white from clenching them so hard. I was absolutely drenched. My black hair stuck to my forehead and the bit of mascara I wore was most likely running down my cheeks. Finally, they had opened. There stood Cassie, looking completely terrified. Her expression quickly faded to something a bit gentler when she noticed who was ramming on their door like a psycho.

"Raven?"

"Please let me join. Please let me come back. Please." I fell to the ground at her feet, shaking from both being overwhelmed and freezing. "I miss this. I can't live like this anymore."

"Cassie, is everything okay?" That voice. _Garfield_. He ran up next to her, I knew it was him. That feeling – that damn feeling – it started to consume me all over again. "Raven?" His tone fell flat.

"Beast B—Garfield. Gar. Please, I'm so sorry." I stared at my hands holding me up on the floor. Slowly, he crouched down next to me. "I'm so sorry."

"Raven, come on, let's get you dry. You're going to get sick." His hands grabbed my arms firmly, but tenderly, and he stood me up. I haven't used this much energy in a long time; I was completely fatigued. Today was all too much. My eyelids fluttered and my head fell back, and then nothing.

"Good morning, beautiful." Cyborg hovered over me and placed a blanket on top of my body. I shuddered and sat up a bit. Then, the smallest of smiles spread across my face. I was in my old room. The same old gray and navy accents – the same old headboard that strongly resembled my hood, the same old spell books on the shelves and enchanted objects on my vanity – they were all there. This warm, familiar feeling fell over my body, and it sure as hell wasn't the blanket, either.

"I have so much explaining to do, I know, but—" he shushed me before I could finish. He knew. He knew nothing had changed – while flying and using my powers used to be a norm for me, it was too much for my body to handle after neglecting it for so long. He knew I just needed to rest for right now. The talking would come later.

"Re-gather your strength, boo. Cassie and Bart are cooking breakfast this morning. Give them an hour, and come and get some grub to round up some energy." He patted my bed and turned to leave. "Oh, and don't worry about Garfield with the whole Tara commentary – really. He is long past it. But with you leaving? Not so much. Not even after all of this time. But all that matters now is you're back. You're home. You're with your family."


	5. You're Here Now

The aroma of bacon and eggs filled the air. I hadn't eaten in quite some time – not since yesterday morning, anyways. As hungry as I was, the smell was a bit off putting. I was still emotionally distressed internally; it made me feel sick to my stomach. Cassie opened up the oven and pulled out a plate of pancakes that she had stored in there to keep them warm while Jaime grabbed a couple of different juices from the refrigerator.

"Good morning, Raven." Her voice was exceptionally peachy. "You ought to get some food in your system." I sat down at one of the stools near the counter top. The closer I got to the bacon, the more my stomach churned. But, I really didn't want to reject her cooking – I had already been rude enough. She set down a plate in front of me with eggs, bacon, and two cakes.

"Thank you." I smiled, reaching for a fork. Cyborg walked into the room with Kory. Xena was nowhere to be found, nor was Garfield. They both grinned form ear to ear taking a seat and some breakfast as well.

"How are you feeling, friend Raven?" Starfire asked sweetly. "I hope you are better this morning." To my surprise, she doused her pancakes in mustard; I thought that was just a phase.

"I'm okay." I was awful.

"Good. I am thrilled to hear that."

"Yeah…where is Xena?"

"Ah! Yes. My Xena is still sleeping. She was out late with Garfield last night on a mission. Jinx broke out of jail. It was not a difficult task, which is why only the two of them went rather than all of us."

"Jinx is still around?" I asked while picking at my eggs, only taking the smallest of bites.

"Of course she is. Still causing trouble, and we're still cleaning up after her. She has run out a lot of tricks, that's for sure. Its just an annoyance now, you'd think she'd give up." Cyborg stated, already on his second stack of pancakes.

"Hm. I always hated her." I snickered. Jinx was incredibly annoying with her whole 'bad girl' persona and egotistical attitude. I sure as hell didn't miss her corny comebacks either.

"Good morning, guys." His voice startled me every time. Garfield yawned and walked over to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it to the brim with orange juice. He drank it down in a matter of seconds and poured himself another. "How is everyone doing?"

"Fantastic thanks to Jaime and Cassie." Cyborg exclaimed, rubbing his metallic stomach. That man could still eat enough for a small family. "Good breakfast, guys. Real good."

"Haha, anything for you Cyborg." Jaime laughed, already scrubbing away at some pans. As they all conversed, I tuned them out and focused my attention on Gar. I was so caught up on his face. The way his jaw clenched when he talked, the way his bottom fang still poked out here as he talked… _Oh my God, stop!_ When did I ever even think he was attractive? There was no way 8 years could suddenly change my mind _. Right?_ I could never lie to myself. On the downside, he hadn't looked at me or said a word to me so far this morning, which was rather upsetting.

"H-how was going after Jinx last night?" I blurted out, completely interrupting Starfire. He raised his eyebrows and then shrugged.

"Just a walk in the park, I guess. Nothing much. Little bitch dished out some sass, but, what else is new?"

"Do you think she's attractive too?" _What the fuck._ I laughed awkwardly. "I mean. Well. I'm not saying you think I'm attractive. I just meant compared to other girls. Because it seems like you think a lot of women are attractive. You're just a nice guy. And you look around a lot. So I was just wondering." _Shut up. Shut up. Shut up._ The room fell completely silent.

"What?" Garfield laughed out loud.

"Well. Uhm." I put on the best, fake scowl I could. Thank God I was wearing a hoodie. I yanked my hood up over my head to hide the red in my cheeks. "You're a flirt. Its what you do. So I was trying to make a joke."

"Hm. I see. Chill out, Rae-Rae."

"Rae-Rae?!" _What in the hell?_ "Do not call me that."  
"That'll just tempt him to do it more." Cyborg laughed, bringing the rest of the dishes to Cassie and Jaime. Before I could open my mouth to protest, the doors opened up and there stood Xena. In her arms she held bunch of folded, navy-blue fabric.

"Finished!" She beamed, flying over and hovering the mount of material in front of me.

"What's this?" I asked. _Oh yeah._ "What's this?" I repeated, turning to Starfire.

"Ah yes. Xena and I designed a new costume for you, friend Raven. Xena was finishing it up this morning. I made the, how you say, white lie, to surprise you. I mean, Jinx did happen, but my Xena was awake bright and early to finish this up for you!"

The thought of putting back on a super suit was a little strange to me. It had been so long. Then again, I won't lie; I did miss my hooded cloak. I hesitated a moment before taking it from Xena, who was getting a little too close to my personal bubble.

"Thank you. That means a lot. The fact that all of you are welcoming me back so suddenly – words can even describe how grateful I am." Everything was so surreal. Here I was: a Titan again…8 years later. I never thought I would even considering rejoining the team. But, it was my home. Everything felt right. I was running away from where I belonged.

"Of course, Rae." Cyborg placed a hand on my shoulder, and then stood up slowly. "I need to go work off this breakfast. You coming, Gar?"

"Absolutely." Garfield replied, hopping down from sitting on the counter next to the kitchen sink.

"Go try on your new outfit, friend!" Kory clapped her hands together rapidly just like she always used to when we were teenagers.

"Yeah, I will." I held out the fabric in front of me, allowing the cloak to tumble to the floor. It was heavy and lengthy. But, it was crafted beautifully. These Tameranians really outdid themselves.

I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom, staring at myself for quite a while. I no longer had a small little leotard like I used to – instead it was a long sleeved, black jumpsuit that was perfectly form fitting. Thankfully they had kept my belt, which sat crookedly on my hips just like old times. I turned a little to the left to study different angles of my body, stumbling a bit in the boots I was wearing. They were heeled, but not nearly as bad as Starfire's and Xena's and were knee-high. I really enjoyed the navy gloves they had created, which were accented with the same jewels on my belt and cloak. Everything was a bit more matured. To be honest, I was a little terrified about them making me something incredibly revealing. But, Starfire knew me. She knew how I was.

"Raven?" There was a knock on my door. Garfield.

"Uh-h, come in." I muttered, tugging my hood up over my head. _Ah yes, my sanctuary!_ The door opened and his green eyes widened immediately.

"Wow. This is so weird."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I snapped.

"First of all, you're letting me into your room." He laughed. "Second of all – just seeing you in it. Seeing you in your little costume again, after all these years; it's a breath of fresh hair, honestly. I like the new look. Modest, but hot." He gave me a wink. "I'm tired of seeing orange boobs all day long."

"Hot? Shut up."

"You like it." He repeated, knowing I hated that comment just as much as I did the other day. _Why was he such an idiot? Why was he so cocky about it? Who was I kidding…I did like it._

"You're annoying." I hissed, turning away from him. There was a pause. I could feel his eyes on me, watching me from behind. I opened my mouth to say something and so did he. We both completely cut each other off.

"I'm sorry."

"No, its okay, go ahead. You first." I encouraged.

"Ladies first, Rae."

"Uh fine." I let out a slow, deep sigh and turned to face him. My eyes were glued to the floor and my palms began to sweat ever so slightly. "Look, Garfield. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for abandoning the team. I didn't mean to hurt any of you. I should have at least stayed in contact. I just wanted to get away from everything. I wanted to finally be able to live a normal life because Trigon was no longer tying me down. What I can tell you is it was so boring." He walked a couple steps towards me, listening intently. "I hated it. I mean I didn't at first. But I hated it so much without knowing it. What made me realize it was when I decided to come visit you guys. Something inside of me just felt like it was necessary, and I'm really glad I did. You all look amazing and so happy and that makes me happy."

"I'm sorry about how rude I was on the rooftop." What a jerk…he didn't even acknowledge a single word I said.

"It's okay, I shouldn't have been nosey. I don't even know why Tara came into my mind. It was just something you were passionate about, I guess."

"That passion is long gone." A small chuckle escaped his lips. "And, apology accepted. All that matters is that you're back now. Now someone can keep me in check again. We have a lot of catching up to do, old pal." He winked and I couldn't help but smile.

"You're a loser."

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Keep on trucking with me guys, crazy things are going to happen as this story goes on, and as promised, longer chapters. I just had to get the grounds covered, of course. Introductions are always slooOOooOowwww.**


	6. Imprisoned

Just as I sat down to get into a new book I had bought, my bedroom went black and began to flash red. Ah, jeez. This blaring alarm was definitely something I didn't miss. I tried to use my powers as much as possible throughout the day. Even if the task was as small is having a glass of water levitate towards me, so be it. I had to get back into the swing of things. I get up from my bed and threw on my cloak, heading towards the common area.

"Alright, alright, what do we got Cy!?" Garfield beamed; clamping his hands together while his little posse of teenagers followed him. "Mammoth break in somewhere? Cinderblock escaping prison again? Plasmus wake up?"

"No man, no – its Cheshire." He pulled up an image of her identity on the large screen. She looked a lot older of course. "The report says another woman is with her who has white hair. Ring a bell at all?"

"Can't say it does." Garfield placed his hands on his hips, bit his cheek, and then clapped his hands. "Alright, Titans, lets go."

"Let me take us there." I chimed. Everyone turned to look at me. "I used to teleport everyone all of the time, I can do it. Tell me where. Trust me. I'm strong enough." No one said anything at first.

"Alright, Raven." Cyborg reassured. "Go ahead. They were last seen on the rooftop of the City's bank, and then it was said they both vanished. So we'll start there." I nodded and closed my eyes as everyone came close and surrounded me.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." We vanished.

"Everyone here in one piece?" Garfield teased when we appeared on the street. The sun was just starting to set.

"Yeah, yeah." Cassie snorted, unhitching a gold lasso from her hip. "Weird – I was expecting some sort of break in at the bank, and yet, everything seems fine. Not a window broken nor any signs of distress."

"Cassie's right," Starfire looked around for a moment. "I do not understand."

"They must have been headed somewhere." Cyborg claimed.

"But where?"  
"I couldn't tell you. The woman spotted with her who has white hair – that trips me up. Does anyone know of anybody with white hair?" While Cyborg and Starfire contemplated the situation, I walked over to the bank and looked up. _Hm._ Rising into mid air, I flew up to the top of the structure and landed onto the rooftop. There was a soft breeze that toyed with my hair and pulled at my cloak. I looked out into the distance; this side of town was closest to a nearby forest.

"I know where they are." I called down to them. Everyone looked up. "They probably went out into the forest. They have to be planning something."

I had taken them to the woods. I remember back in the old days when Robin had chased down Slade here numerous times. What was with villains and this damn place? _Interesting_. There was something eerie about this enviorment; it gave me a weird feeling in my gut.

"I don't like it here." Everyone looked at me, completely puzzled.

"Aw, Rae-Rae, are you scared." Garfield purred.

"I'm serious." This feeling it gave me – it wasn't good. "There is something going on out there, and it isn't good. I don't like it at all."

"Maybe you are sensing old feelings from when Slade used to fight us out here. Remember that fire monster? That was not pleasant." Kory placed a hand on my shoulder.

"No, Star, there is something different lurking out here. I'm not sure what, but it isn't human. The feelings I gather from it, it's evil. It isn't like anything I've ever felt." No one said a word. I wasn't trying to scare them; I would never make up something as serious as this. We began to move forward as a group, every one keeping their guard up and looking around. A light rose up from Cyborg's shoulder as we got deeper into the woods.

"Are you sure they even came out here?" Cassie asked.

"No. But I just have this feeling." I replied.

"Can you sense them?"

"No, it's been too long for me to rekindle with their presence. Not until we are near them can I sense them." Thunder rumbled across the sky. _Great._

"More rain, eh? This week has been brutal. Aw man, its gonna mess up my hair." Garfield complained, half joking. I turned to scold him for being a child, but was interrupted by a knife that had just barely struck Cassie in the head, slamming into a tree behind her. The slightest bit of her gold hair tumbled to the ground.

"Shit!" She cried out, completely taken aback. All of us were suddenly on high alert; everyone scanning our surroundings intently to try and figure out where that had come from. I walked over to observe the knife. It was jagged and wrapped with blue bandaging at the handle. The moment my fingers touched the weapon, I recoiled, gasping as multiple images flooded my head. So much blood – so much hatred. I let out a scream.

"Slade!" I cried.

"No. That was my father." A woman hopped down from the trees. Her braided hair was white as snow. Everything turned green. Starfire held out one of her fists, threatening the woman with a deadly burst of energy if she pulled any wrong moves. "You idiots fell right where I wanted you to. To think after all these years you'd have some sort of common sense. Use your brains." She turned towards me. I was frozen and trembling violently. Why couldn't I move? "It's you I need."

Garfield turned into a massive green tiger, letting out an aggressive roar and circling me slowly, his eyes glued to the white haired woman. He continued to growl deeply in his throat, protectively pacing around the ground I stood. _Why me?_ I felt like I was suffocating. I thought coming back would be good; I thought it would be as simple as fighting crime again. But, no. I was desired yet again. For what? I wasn't even sure myself. That is what scared me.

Before anyone could move, start a fight; anything, time stopped. Two massive, muddy hands broke through the ground, shattering the earth underneath me. A demonic, horrific laughter appeared. It was female and seemingly familiar. I let out a cry as they grabbed at my ankles, pulling me downward before I could even think to move. My reflexes to use my powers were so rusty and it was too late.

"Raven!" Starfire howled, her voice becoming muffled. I felt like my lungs were being crushed as I was yanked deeper into God knows where.

"Azar…" I cried, hot tears welling up in my eyes. I clamped them shut. The air suddenly felt cold. I didn't dare open my eyes. All of these voices filled my head. All of these loud, evil voices whispering sinister thoughts into my mind. I could no longer hear myself think. I passed out completely.

"Well, well, well." That horrendous, female voice appeared again. My eyes shot open. Where was I? I was hanging upside down, which explained the terrible headache I was experiencing. It seemed like I was in some sort of underground cave and I was dangling in the middle of it. I coughed a bit; the weight of my cloak and broach sinking into my neck was slightly uncomfortable. "I thought I'd never see your face again."

A woman made of brown, sluggish material stood before me. Her eyes were glowing yellow. Her physical appearance reminded me of Plasmus, except she didn't smell and there was anatomical structures of a woman apparent; meaning she wasn't just a talking blob. Her face. That face. "Terra." I hissed. She laughed and walked towards me, leaving a trail of mud behind her.

"Correct."

"I heard you were dead. What a shame. You're still alive." I snarled. A petty chuckle came out of her mouth as she circled me. "A pile of muck? You still look the same, at least."

"Shut your mouth!" Terra barked, extending her left arm forward to hit me across the face. I bit my tongue pretty bad, but worse could have happening. I spit the blood out in her direction.

"How are you still alive?"

"That doesn't matter right now." The way she sounded was so chilling; I couldn't get over it. It was almost like she was possessed. There were undertones of demonic entities in her voice. That bad feeling I got before we entered the forest was extremely amplified. It was her all along.

"You look like something straight out of Hell – tell me, how was it?"

"You'll find out sooner or later. I said hello to your father, for you."

"Fuck off." I was angry. Ever since I met her when I was 15 or so, I disliked her. Now I was at the peak of hatred. No other person repulsed me as much as this woman did.

"You have the power to bring me back – to give me my old body back. You're going to help me do it."

"That's what you think."

"I have ways I can make you." She turned around and footsteps starting to come near us from a tunnel in the cave. A worried, pleading male voice began to echo throughout the chamber. That voice…it was so familiar.

"Peter?" I cried out as Cheshire and Slade's daughter walked into plain sight. "How on Earth…?"

"Fix it Raven. Fix me." Terra demanded, her eyes burning manically.

"What are you going to do with him? Just leave him alone!"

"Where did you go Raven, what the fuck is this?" He cried, legitimate tears running down his cheeks. He was battered and bruised. A long, blood gash ran across his temple and forehead. They tortured him. They must have been watching me for a while. How did they know who he was? Then again, they were villains: assassins. Tracking people down was an easy task.

What was I thinking? I looked up at the chain holding my ankles together and focused all of my energy I had onto them. They turned black and snapped off. I fell towards the ground, but righted myself and landed onto my feet gracefully. Before I could send any sort of power towards Terra, large rock hands flew up from the ground, wrapping around me and restricting any sort of movement.

"Son of a bitch!" I shouted angrily. "I can't help you! Even if I tried, it would take days to perfect any sort of spell to do so!"

"You're lying." Terra smiled, turning towards the two women and Peter. "Kill him."

"No!" I cried out, turning my head towards him. As I shouted for remorse, Slade's daughter shoved a sword right through his throat, twisted her blade, and yanked it to the left. His eyes rolled upwards and his head bobbed and bounced against his back, hanging crookedly since half of it was severed off. Both women let him go and he dropped to his knees before landing onto his face into his own pool of blood, the impact breaking his head off completely. I felt sick to my stomach.

The rocks restricting my movement began to morph together, imprisoning me completely so only my head and neck was showing. They were hot, but not unbearable. I was so weak and she knew it. She must have been planning this for a while. I was overwhelmed: from being back with the Titans, from trying to understand my powers again, and trying to keep my emotions in check; it was all so well thought out. I began to cry. Life took a turn for the worst in a mere two or three days. One minute I was serving drinks, the next I was trapped by some bitch I had bad blood with years ago.

"I knew you'd come out of hiding at some point. I kept an eye on the Titans when I could, and sure enough, there you were." Terra began to melt back down into the ground. "Sleep well, we'll try this again tomorrow."


	7. Unleash

I attempted absolutely everything to try and escape this earth-made imprisonment. Nothing worked. Every time I tried to utilize my powers I couldn't gather any strength to get these rocks off of me. I was sweating. It was cold in the cave, but this confinement was extremely warm. I wondered if the others began looking for me? _Probably_. I had no idea where exactly I was location wise.

"I can't believe this." I whispered to myself, my voice echoing ever so slightly in this massive cavity. "How could I have been so stupid? So weak?" Everyone used to claim I was one of the most powerful Titans - not anymore. Neglecting my abilities was one of the worst decisions I had ever made. I could try and channel Starfire or Cyborg or even Garfield through telepathy, but I don't think I had the vitality to even do that.

I then started to really wonder if I could just give her what she wanted. To bring her back to life was quite a request, especially because she was basically a living entity engulfed in mud, soot, and rock. I wasn't even sure if that was enough to work with to recreate her old self. Even if I could, she didn't deserve it anyways. There was no way in Hell I would do such a thing for a wicked human being like her. She was turned to stone once already, why couldn't she have just stayed that way?

"Come on Raven, just try." I'd assume about two hours had gone by. The entire time I was dealing with internal-conflict. "You can do this." Speaking out loud helped me gather a bit of motivation. "Breathe." I closed my eyes and began to meditate as best as I could. My comfort level was slim to none, which made even more difficult. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." I repeated over and over again. _Go to one of them Raven. Just try._ Minutes passed – nothing _. Keep trying._ There it was. I felt my body feel as if though it was being drained. My mind and internal being lifted itself away from my physical being. I was on the search for one of my friends.

I felt warmth. I felt worry. I felt deep sadness. _Blink. Say something. Do something!_ "Raven?!" Garfield cried out loud. Going for Garfield just felt right. At this moment I was in his head; we were one.

"Listen to me." I talked inside of his mind. "I'm okay for the time being. So don't ask." I looked through his eyes. He was in his bedroom.

"Where are you, Rae?"

"I couldn't tell you exactly where, but I'm in some sort of underground cave. I'm trapped, I can't move, and I'm exhausted. I would use my powers to escape, but I don't have control over them nor the energy to do so. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Underground?" I could feel him begin to pace the room, walking in circles. I could hear his current thoughts, wondering about any sort of caves hidden below the surface. He was stumped, but that wasn't surprising. "What do they want with you?"

"That's a story you'll need to find out in person, Gar. Tell the others." I felt part of him shun that idea. As if he wanted to do this alone. _But why?_

"Raven you're barely giving me anything to work with!"

"Garfield I'm trying my best!" I scolded, suddenly start to feel his presence fade away. I was fading away. I had nothing left in me to stay put in his mind. This was my last chance. "Please find me. I'm terrified." I whispered solemnly. Just before I left his conscious, I sensed something. His heart palpitated and his forehead broke out into a sweat and his stomach churned. He was worried about me at an extreme level.

I cried. Not just a couple of tears here and there, but full-fledged snot, red face, and glassy eyes kind of crying. I would not dare sob in front of anyone, so being that I was alone, this was acceptable. Time felt like it completely stopped. I was unaware whether it was morning, day, evening, or night; but did it really matter? The best thing I could do right now was wait for something to happen or for someone to show up, whether it was Terra or the team. My eyelids fluttered. _So tired_. Before I knew it, my head nodded forward a couple of times and I fell into a deep sleep.

Hands grabbed at my face. Warm, gentle hands. Was I dreaming? _Raven_. Someone said my name. I wanted to wake up but I just couldn't. I was so, so tired…

"Raven!" My eyes shot open and I gasped. "Thank God!" The hands were still on my face. Everything was blurry; it took me a moment to gather composure and focus. I'd recognize that green silhouette anywhere.

"Gar…" I muttered. My voice was hoarse and my lips were dry. Damn these rocks were making me sweat. "How did you…? Where are the others?"

"Sleeping. And ever hear of a hound dog? I sniffed you out. I also searched local caves on the Internet. It wasn't too difficult." Was it really that easy? Sheesh. Then again, without me contacting him, I'm sure looking for an underground cave wouldn't have come to mind. "Kinda went for that spicy, gothic aroma your room gives off, and here I am." He joked. I wasn't in the mood to make any sort of comment back. I could barely comprehend what was going on. One of his hands moved to my forehead. "Sheesh, you're really burning up."

"Huh? Oh yeah." Was I? I couldn't tell. Garfield looked down at the rock sealed around my body, running his hands all over it to try and find a good spot to attempt to break it open. He stepped back with a puzzled expression on my face.

"I need to get you out of this thing. You're hot."

"Oh stop, enough with the jokes." I murmured while struggling to stay in reality.

"No, Raven, you have a fever. You're roasting."

"O-Oh." I was starting to lose my mind. I hadn't noticed. Assuming he came up with a plan, he morphed into a ram. Taking a few steps back first, he then ran towards my imprisonment at full throttle, crashing his horns into the stone. There was a loud cracking sound, but it didn't break. I felt the vibration from the blow run through my body. He turned back into a human.

"Okay, look, I'm going to do it again. I think it'll open up. Just don't move a single muscle so I don't hurt you, Rae."

"Yeah okay." I whispered. My eyes squeezed shut, bracing myself. Nothing happened. I opened them to see what was going on. Garfield stood there facing me, wide eyed. He looked dumfounded; absolutely terrified and he stood completely still.

"Terra?" His voice was shaken. _No._ She was back. Were the other two as well? I tried to turn my head to take a peak, but this damn rock trap restricted my movement completely. Then, it hit me. I looked over to where Peter remained _. Oh my God_.

"Gar, please, you have to leave! Just go! You can't handle her and the others alone!" I cried out with every ounce of strength I had left. Then, tears. Tears streamed down my cheeks and my heart pounded against my chest. My hair stuck to my forehead from the constant sweating. "Please!" He didn't move. An icy, gritty hand grabbed at the back of my neck.

"Hush." Terra muttered with a slight threatening undertone in her voice.

"What are you?" Garfield finally asked, backing up a little.

"You're ex." Before he could react, her free arm extended multiple feet and crashed into Gar's chest, throwing him backwards. Before he could hit the ground, she grabbed at his top and picked him up by the fabric, slamming him into the nearest cave wall.

"Stop!" I screamed, but no sound came out. "Please!" Garfield grunted and slowly got back up to his feet. The back of his uniform, being white, was covered in dirt and slightly torn near his shoulders from the impact.

"Let her go, Terra!" He snarled, looking at her with such hatred in his eyes. I had never seen him so angry, not even when he had turned into the beast from when we were teens. He looked manic, but kept calm. His shoulders moved up and down as he took heavy, livid breaths.

"Or what? You don't scare me, fool." She released her grip on my neck and sauntered towards him, her back facing me. Her body rose as her legs melted into mud, which piled itself up higher and higher, elevating her from the ground. "The minute I am turned back, I will be stronger than ever. Stronger than I was before!" She grabbed at his shirt again with extended arms, yanking him up off of the ground and holding her close to him. Their faces were inches apart. "I was dead, but dancing with the devil sometimes helps…ask your little friend over there. She would know."

" Fuck you." Garfield hissed. Terra showed no mercy. She threw him to the ground and brought herself back to her normal height. Before he could even get up, her leg kicked him back to his hands and knees and she raised her hands up into the air and let out a shout. The loose rocks that had broken off the ground or the walls from the cave all began to glow and levitate.

"Gar!" I called out. I was worthless. I couldn't even help him. I was so angry, so frustrated. He had found me only to get knocked around by this bitch. I gritted my teeth, my face turned hot. Something inside me snapped; I lost all control.

The rock surrounding encapsulating me exploded. I felt my blood boil and my body extend itself up towards the ceiling. _She's so dead._ My eyes glowed red and my forehead burned. My cloak that had cocooned me under Terra's prison untwisted itself and flung open, revealing total darkness. The ground around me began to turn black, spider webbing and spreading across the entire cave at rapid speeds. The fear in Garfield's eyes turned into concern. _Yes, you are just like your Father, even after all of these years. Embrace yourself, Raven._ Terra was frozen in awe.

" _You_!" I roared in Terra's direction, my voice conjoined with those of Hell. Out of my cloak emerged a large, dark, translucent talon. It grabbed for her, but missed as she swatted it away with a shield of mud. Instantaneously another large, monstrous black hand revealed itself, snagging her around the waste. _Crush her to pieces. Create a pool of her blood._ I brought her to my face and smiled devilishly. "How's it feel to be the one trapped, now?" I sneered, slowly squeezing the life out of her.

"Raven! Don't! Snap out of it!" Garfield called. Garfield? I forgot he was here. Oh my God, what was happening to me? _No. Kill her._ Yes. Finish her off; she deserved it anyways. She killed Peter and captured me. "Raven!" His voice…his voice. _Don't listen to him!_

Terra howled in fear and began to cough as her ribs shattered underneath my grip. _Draw her blood – kill her. Yes Raven. I knew you had it in you. Kill!_ I smiled wickedly. Just as I was about to give the final blow and squash her into jam, I was knocked over by a lunging jaguar. Terra fell to the ground, completely immobile. I crashed into the nearest wall and all the dark forces of my power sucked right back into my body immediately; what began had quickly subsided.

I inhaled sharply with wide eyes. My entire body broke out into a cold sweat and trembled viciously. I sank down to the ground and sat there like a limp rag doll. Terra was unconscious, but wasn't dead. Garfield shifted back into himself and ran over to me, stumbling a bit.

"I'm so sorry!" He grabbed at me and pressed the back of his hand against my forehead and recoiled, shaking it off. "You're on fire!" No words came out of my mouth. I looked at him with glassy, helpless eyes. Without hesitation he unlatched my broach and pulled away my cloak. The zipper to my jumpsuit ran down the front and he pulled it just above where my chest was at and opened it up to try and cool me off.

What happened back there was completely and utterly sinister; I hadn't fell into that state in a long time. Seeing her toss Garfield around must have triggered it – I was so angry. My eyes fluttered.

"Stay with me Raven." He called out. Even though he was crouched right beside me, he sounded so far away – sort of like I was under water. Strange. "Stay with me!" He repeated. All I wanted to do was close my eyes…

 **AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry for any typos! Let me know if you ever see something haha...I always think I proof read properly, but end up missing a few here and there. I hope you are all enjoying this story so far!**


	8. A Moment of Realization

"So, you're telling me that Terra is alive?" Cyborg looked at us with disbelief. "How on Earth did that happen?"

"You're guess is as good as mine…" I muttered. They had me on a bed all wired up to machines in the medical room. I had just woken up from a three day long slumber – my body was probably just healing and regenerating itself. Kory, Garfield, and Cyborg were all with me trying to understand the situation. "What I can tell you is she was incredibly vicious. Her voice…it was so terrifying. I'm surprised you haven't chimed in, Gar." He furrowed his brow and still didn't have a single word to say as he leaned against the wall opposite from where my bed was.

When I had woken up earlier today, I told them everything. I had to; Cyborg and Kory were hovering me constantly and begged for answers and an explanation. For whatever reason Garfield wouldn't tell them much. I was well rested, but I could definitely go back to sleep for another solid three hours.

"It is rather absurd that we have to deal with this bad person again." Star sighed. "We all saw her die right in front of us. Or so, we presumed. Xena had hit her right in the chest near her heart; no human could survive that sort of blow." Garfield rolled his eyes at her commentary and shifted his weight onto his other foot.

"What's your problem?" I barked at him. "You haven't said an entire thing all day. You were there with me. Why wont you talk or say anything? You've always been so immature."

"Excuse me?" He walked towards me a little. "You have no idea what I'm thinking about right now. You have no fucking idea." There was a pause. "Oh wait, why don't you take a peak?"

"You and I both know I would never invade your privacy. You're attitude is completely unnecessary, Gar."

"Then mind your own damn business Raven."

"Get out." His eyes widened. I repeated myself. "Get. Out." I pointed towards the door. These little mood swings of his were incredibly hurtful. I had enough for right now. But of course, he was being stubborn and didn't move.

"You two need to talk and knock it off. Garfield, you're 23, stop acting like a toddler!" Cyborg scolded, guiding Starfire out of the room. "Figure it out, guys." The door slammed behind them.

Neither of us said a word for a good two minutes. I sat up in bed and stared down at my hands. As for Garfield, he was still leaning against the wall and tapping his foot.

"You almost died." Finally he said something.

"I'm well aware."

"Why didn't you reach me sooner?" Why on earth was he lecturing me so much? "God I can't even think of what could have happened if you hadn't contacted me."

"I can handle myself." For the time being, that was a lie.

"Raven, you erupted into mass destruction. What if you killed her?"

"So be it."

"That's ridiculous!"

"So, Xena killed her apparently, and you were fine with it? But God forbid if I killed her, you'd be upset."

"Because Raven!" He shouted.

"Because what, Gar?" I dished it out right back at him.

"Because, that's not who you are. You're a kind, empathetic human being. If you killed someone, I don't know what I'd think. I admire you for being able to try and control every situation. That's why whenever you go crazy like that it terrifies me. I was so worried." _Worry_. All I sensed from him was concern towards me.

"Stop worrying about me so much." My tone was cold.

"What…"

"Just stop. You're wasting your energy. You have no reason to. You never did before."

"That isn't even true, Raven. I always worried about you. Even after you left. I thought about you every day." Why would he waste his time doing such things? My heart skipped a beat; I refused to look him in the eye. "Stop shutting everyone out. God damnit, I thought by now you would have been a little better about that. We didn't shut you out, did we? Hell no we didn't. So stop doing it to us – to me!" Another moment of silence.

"You did that to me; my lash out. You caused it." I confessed.

"What? Don't blame that on me! What is that supposed to mean? Did you even listen to a word I just said—

"Garfield! Shut up and listen! It was because she was hurting you. I couldn't take it anymore; I couldn't sit there helplessly and watch you be thrown around like that. It was disgusting, it hurt me." Our eyes met. "Now will you just leave me alone?" We stared at each other. I was melting; I had this urge to run at him and hug him; to apologize and explain to him that I loved him and I was so concerned. _Wait. What._ In love with him? There it was _. No. I wasn't_. We just reunited, how could that be? I needed to stop lying to myself. I always had feelings for him.

"I will, but I know it's not what you want." I opened my mouth to testify towards what he had just said, but before I could, he walked out and gently closed the door behind him. _No._ I jumped out of bed and detached all of the wires pressed up against my chest, arms, and forehead.

"Garfield!" I ran out the door and towards him down the hall. He turned his head, cocking an eyebrow. As soon as I approached him and met eyes, all the fear came back. "Uhm." I halted right in front of him, nearly stumbling into his chest. All the words I wanted to say completely left. What if he didn't like me that way? We just started talking again. _I mean the way he was acting… No. He just cares. He's a friend._

"Are you alright…?" I hadn't noticed I was staring blankly at his face this entire time I was battling my thoughts and speculations. My face turned warm and I had nothing to hide the soft blush on my cheeks. I was seeing him in such a different light. He was so mature – so handsome… _Get a hold of yourself!_ I shivered. Looking down, I hadn't realized I was in a tank, shorts, and completely braless. I had some red marks on my skin from where the wires were hooked up and snug against my body. The light bulb above us turned black and popped.

"Oh my god." I whispered and Garfield started laughing.

"You're right, your powers are a little wonky." At least he seemed a bit more lighthearted compared to about five minutes ago. I crossed my arms on my chest out of embarrassment. "But seriously, what's up?"

"I-I don't remember."

"You're such a liar. You ran out of that room like a crazy lady, there has to be something going on in that little head of yours." He teased. My lips pressed together as I bowed my head in shame, remaining completely mute.

"There is nothing, Gar." I turned away to escape any further objection he might have had. Perhaps at some point I would be able to sit down and talk with him; to tell him everything I was feeling and thinking. But, in a realistic world for me, confrontational situations about emotion were terrifying and I strayed as far away as possible. To my surprise he did not come after me; he continued to stroll down the hall to tend to other important tasks.

As the day dragged on, I did not get a lot accomplished. After my little scene in the hallway in front of Gar, I hid away in my bedroom like old times. I took a small nap here and there, but could not see to fall asleep for a long period of time. After a while I just gave up and got dressed into something more modest than short shirts and a tank. It had to have been after seven by now, which wasn't that late; someone had to be up.

By no surprise, everyone was lingering around the main area; talking and eating like one big family. They all sat around the counter and tried to talk over one another with these fun and exciting stories. Sure enough, the moment I walked through the door, all their attention turned towards me. Cyborg smiled wide.

"Hey Rae, how are you feeling?" He stood up and grabbed a plate, walking over and handing it to me. "Grab something to eat and sit down with all of us." I wasn't hungry but took the dish to be polite.

"Sure." I took a mere dinner roll and put a small amount of butter on it before taking a seat next to Starfire, far away from Garfield; I couldn't stand to look at him at the moment; it would get me all flustered. All of me hoped and prayed no one would bring up the whole Terra incident for the rest of the night; it had been on my mind all day and I did not want to dwell on it anymore.

"Alas, Xena and I are going to the street fair tomorrow evening!" Starfire said excitedly, peering over at her girlfriend. I took a small bite of my bread. "Would anyone like to tag along?" Cassie and Jaime looked at each other, talking amongst themselves to make a decision. All I could do was reflect back to when we used to go to the street fair when were teens. I bit my lower lip.

"I'll go." Everyone fell silent and turned their attention towards me. I shifted on my stool and cleared my throat, repeating myself. "I want to go, is that bad?"

"So you do have some fun in you still." Garfield announced, peering down at me from the opposite end of the counter. "Isn't that surprising." He teased. I gave him a cold, dirty look. "Ya'll have fun, as much as I'd like to partake, someone has to man the tower." Cyborg said while standing up and taking his dish to the sink. "None of you do anything stupid." He gave Garfield a look. None of us could make any promises when it came to that man.

"So it's settled. We're all going tomorrow except for Vic because he's boring as hell per usual." Gar declared. "I'll make sure to babysit all of you kiddies."

"Ugh shut up." Cassie rolled her eyes and cleaned up her area before going, if I were to guess, to her room.

"You are the one who needs babysitting." I gave Garfield the smallest of smiles before sinking into a black portal into the ground, gathering a bit of confidence and refraining from breaking eye contact with him the entire time. A small, teasing smirk appeared on my face before teleporting into my bedroom for the night.


End file.
